Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

Another night of heavy snow. The family was sleeping soundly in bed when they heard someone knocking on the window.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang." The voice was calling out, but deliberately lowered. Xia Yu was startled awake by the sound outside, looking at the still pitch-black sky. She wondered, 'Who is this? Has something happened again?' The last time she was woken up in the middle of the night was when Zhang the Cripple's house collapsed. The voice sounded familiar, but Xia Yu couldn't immediately place it.

"Who?"

"Brother Zhang, it's me. Open the door quickly," the person outside replied.

Zhang Youtie hadn't yet recognized the voice; it just sounded familiar. But usually, people who called him "Brother Zhang" weren't from the village.

Zhang Youtie held a lantern in his hand, opened the door, and lifted the cotton curtain to go out. He saw a person wrapped in a cloak and wearing a snow hat standing in front of the main room. Most of his face was covered by the snow hat, only his stubble chin was visible.

Upon seeing the person standing at the door, Zhang Youtie was so startled that he staggered back several steps. "Brother Zhang, be careful."

Seeing that Zhang Youtie had taken several steps back in fright, the man rushed forward to help him. This sudden movement caused Zhang's snow hat to fall off.

Under the light of the lantern in his hand, Zhang Youtie could see the face of the person who had just arrived.

"Butler Ding!" Zhang Youtie exclaimed in surprise when he saw the face of the person who had entered the room illuminated by the lamplight.

"Shh," Butler Ding put his finger to his lips as a shushing gesture.

"Brother Zhang, I have something very important to discuss with you so late at night. Could we go inside and talk?" Butler Ding said in a low voice.

Zhang Youtie quickly straightened up and helped Steward Ding lift the curtain to let them into the room. At this moment, Xia Yu and Madam Liu also came out of the room, dressed. Madam Liu was carrying an oil lamp.

Steward Ding apologized to Madam Liu, saying, "I'm sorry to have disturbed your rest, sister-in-law!"

Madam Liu quickly curtsied and said, "Steward Ding, you're too kind. Please tell me what you need to do, and I'll go and put the brazier on."

"Please wait, Madam. I'll just say a few words and then leave," Steward Ding said, stopping Liu as she was about to go out.

Hearing him say this, Liu stayed in the house. The group sat down around the table.

Butler Ding lowered his voice and said, "The master sent me to tell you that the north may be going to launch a military campaign this year..."

Steward Ding succinctly explained the main purpose of their visit to the three. After listening to Steward Ding, Zhang Youtie, Liu Shi, and Xia Yu exchanged speechless glances. This was too absurd. Their family was just ordinary farmers; how did they suddenly become involved in matters of national importance?

Xia Yu glanced at her parents and realized that she was the one who had caused this trouble. To put it bluntly, if she hadn't accidentally used her spatial ability, she wouldn't have attracted Shen Jingheng's attention.

He has now thoroughly investigated his family's ancestry, and his family's knowledge of him was limited to him being a favorite of the emperor and a high-ranking official in the capital. Now, he has actually sent Steward Ding to tell them such a confidential matter. Does this mean his family has been hooked on his pirate ship? If his rivals find out, his family might not even know how they died.

"Uncle Ding, if the adults' rivals find out, will my family be doomed?" Xia Yu asked Butler Ding.

"Don't worry, I was beaten to death by the Shen family a few days ago for making a mistake and thrown into a mass grave. Ding Chengxin no longer exists in this world." Butler Ding said these shocking words to the group, his tone tinged with melancholy. From now on, he would never appear before the world again.

Hearing his words, Xia Yu's heart clenched. She cautiously asked, "Do you mean we should also fake our deaths? And then secretly work for Lord Shen?"

Hearing Xia Yu's words, Butler Ding chuckled and said, "That won't be necessary. What I mean is, no one can trace our connection, so you're all safe for now. The master said to live your lives as usual. The fleet will pass by here at midnight in ten days. Please make sure you have the things the master needs ready. They're in the two empty houses at the very end of the pond. Someone will come to collect them then." After saying this, he took something out of his pocket, looked at it, and then spoke to the still astonished group.

"I'm leaving now. Although I'm already dead, it's best not to let anyone else know I was here." As he spoke, Butler Ding took out a roll of silver notes and a round object with a chain from his sleeve and placed them on the table. He bowed to Zhang Youtie, pulled his snow hat up, and quickly walked out.

"You two wait inside, I'll go see them off." Zhang Youtie quickly said to the mother and daughter, and then followed Butler Ding into the swirling snow.

Madam Liu pinched her palm hard, mentally reviewing every word that Steward Ding had said before slowly sitting down at the table.

"Xiaxia, are you scared?" Madam Liu asked her daughter gently.

"Mother, I've dragged you into this. I should have been more careful," Xia Yu said to her mother with some guilt. Her mother asked if she was scared. How could she not be? The people she cared about were all here.

“Mother, don’t be afraid. The old monk said that once you get through this calamity, you will live a carefree and prosperous life. He was so accurate in his calculations; he foresaw everything before, so he’s sure he’ll be right about living a carefree life too. We are very useful to Lord Shen now, so he certainly won’t let us die easily.” Madam Liu didn’t know whether she was comforting Xia Yu or herself.

Xia Yu recalled what Steward Ding had just said: "In the fight against the northern barbarians, the master oversees the dispatch and transport of the army's provisions and all military supplies. The northern climate is cold, and our newly arrived troops are not adapting well; many have already fallen ill from the cold. Originally, there was a supply of strong liquor to keep warm at the front, but this year the troop deployment has increased significantly, and there isn't enough. The old man ate the hotpot broth you made and thought of using spicy spices instead of strong liquor to keep the soldiers warm. The master said your family is in this business, so having you purchase these supplies won't attract attention. You just need to buy the supplies and put them in the designated place."

Xia Yu knew that the last few words were actually meaningless; they were just meant for Butler Ding to hear. She and Shen Jingheng both knew that the spicy spices came from He, and the so-called 'purchase' was just a cover-up. In reality, they just wanted her to grow them as soon as possible.

Xia Yu cursed silently in her heart. That damned Shen Jingheng! Even if he knew that his water could make crops grow quickly, didn't he realize that suddenly patches of red would appear in such a freezing winter? Wasn't he just asking for death? If it weren't for the space, she would rather die than help him plant them. At most, she could plant a few crops in the backyard, but that would definitely not be enough for the army.

However, Xia Yu still faces a problem: the chili peppers are fresh, and there are no drying ovens available. How can she dry the chili peppers?